ANTIQUE BRONZE CLAD ROBINSON CRUSOE DOG DEER PARROT BOOKENDS BY POMPEIAN BRONZE

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ANTIQUE BRONZE CLAD ROBINSON CRUSOE DOG DEER PARROT BOOKENDS BY POMPEIAN BRONZE:
$595.00

Wonderful bookends depicting the literary character Robinson Crusoe from Daniel Defoe's 1719 novel of the same name. Seems Rob has been on the desert isle for a while by this time, as he has adapted quite nicely in terms of fashioning clothing and accessories from local materials as well as making friends with the animals. Wonderful details, not just in the main characters, but also in the background scenery of palm trees,vegetation, even clouds in the sky.
I have never seen this particular set before and do not find it in the reference books or on-line collections. There is a similar one, by the same manufacture, which shows the identical figures of Rob, his parasol and the animals, but are not set against a decorative back as seen here.These were electro-formed (more commonly known as bronze-clad), a manufacturing technique whereby a skin of bronze (copper in this case) was made to adhere to a plaster form by the chemical process of electro-plating. The indentations (or "wicks") in the bottoms show the metal loops used to suspend the pieces in a vat of some solution. A handful of companies used this method in the early 1900's to make decorative household objects that had the look, feel and heft of solid bronze pieces but still were affordable by the middle class.
One of those companies was Pompeian Bronze, their name clearly marked on the backs. Circa 1920.
Condition is excellent. No breaks in the cladding, some minor dings and dents and a few mashed corners on the bases but the central figures show no damage. The finish is original, does show wear and age, and a few areas where it looks like something got spilled or spattered (the shiny spots in the pictures). Both pieces sit flat and stable.
Stand 6 1/4 inches tall; 5 inches wide; 2 1/4 inches deep. And fairly heavy at 2 pounds EACH PIECE.
US shipping only. USPS parcel post, insurance and delivery confirmation.
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